


A Dragon Who Wasn't

by FireopalCHAOS



Category: Naruto
Genre: F/M, Friendship, Gen, I sprinkled in some headcanon, Implied Character Death, M/M, Multi, Original Character Death(s), Tobirama is a good sensei, but only sort of, by old age, canon character death, mystery!Madara, or something
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-27
Updated: 2017-10-01
Packaged: 2018-12-20 18:03:10
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 11,923
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11926272
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FireopalCHAOS/pseuds/FireopalCHAOS
Summary: There are beings out there that have the instincts of dragons. They are dangerous. They do not have the indifference dragons do. One of these only has two options: Death or Change.





	1. Mito

**Author's Note:**

> Let me know if you spot any typos.

Mito notices it the first time she meets him. How his eyes seem to squint just that little bit more in daylight and candles yet open wider in the dark where others have trouble seeing. The way that sometimes he will get a look that can only be described as longing for something, longing for a place that isn’t here.

It is all familiar, but she can’t place from where until she goes to visit her home village with them coming along. The visit is to solidify the alliance, make it more official. Mito doesn’t say that she knows it is also a show of strength, a show of how strong the Uzumaki and Senju are in their alliance.

The first night, she goes to walk along the beach like she had with her mother as a child and sees him standing in the water. The armor he had come in is gone and replaced with only a pair of leggings rolled to his knee. Mito pauses far enough that she can see him yet not interrupt. She knows the look in the eyes watching the star scattered sea; saw it every day until she was fifteen from her mom’s best friend.

She thinks back on what she had noticed about him, of the small things that all added up to the same conclusion with no alternative. She thinks on what to do, if she should mention it to him or just let it lie. Mito gives a small shake of her head, she couldn’t let this lie if she wanted to.

“How long has it been?” Mito asks, stopping to stand next to him in the water. She sees him jerk and since she is watching closer than she did before, she sees that it is more of a practiced jump rather than a true one. She sees the eyes that were always squinted open to a ‘normal’ size and shining; shining with a light she had only seen in her mother’s friend.

“How long has it been since you were in the water?” she says, turning to watch the sea with its star scattered top.

He stares at her warily and she can’t be surprised, not really. None seemed to know about it in Konoha and she doubted he wanted anyone  _ to _ know. Still, he answered her, “I never have been, actually.”

She hums and doesn’t say anything else, knowing that anything else will only meet a wall. They stay there, watching the sea, until the water recedes and no longer laps at their legs. He closes his eyes and turns away from the sea and an eye that was used to picking up the subtle hints would think it was with finality. Mito, though, notices the slight twitch in his hands and the way that his steps are more forceful than they usually are. She sees the almost hidden twitch of his head as he almost looks back at the sea, the pull of the deep calling stronger here than he would have ever felt.

 

When they go back to Konoha, Mito sees the longing looks and stares come more frequently. For a moment, she is confused, until she realises that having been so close to the sea had made the pull to the water that much stronger. She isn’t sure what she can do to make the pull any less noticeable, to make it just a day or two longer before he leaves for the deep, but she tries.

She finds books that look interesting and leaves them where he will find them. She slips reports that would never have made it to him into his hands. If she sees him wanting to escape, she will interrupt what he is doing to let him.

The first time he sits down with her to talk about it, she is surprised. He asks how she knew and she tells him about her mother’s friend who longed for the sea more than anything else. How she saw the same things he does for 15 years before they said goodbye and walked into the water’s embrace.

He nods and tells her how he became one. He talks about being 15 and having a strange group come up to him and his brother and talking about things that many would never believe. He gives a weary smile when he tells of how the change was the preferable choice.

After the first talk, they become lighter in topic; changing to how each of them grew up. She told him what it was like when a sea storm came through her village. How the colors of the water changed from blue to green to grey to an infinite she could never name or describe. She tells him about the way the water ran off scales, both light and dark.

He tells her about his siblings and parents, painting a picture she wishes she could have seen. He talks of their deaths with old sadness and acceptance that she thinks might have been helped along by the change. He even says what he thinks might have happened had he not been given the change, the ability to handle the instincts no human should have easier.

Mito helps more as she learns more about what he uses to distract himself, buying things that he can’t and telling stories of growing up with nine siblings and being the youngest. She still passes things along to him, just not as hidden. And she makes a friend in the elder who knows, who helps keep the eyes off him so he can escape when he needs to.

 

When it comes to it, Mito thinks she notices it first. It is in the way the things he distracts himself with begin to take on more and more water-like themes. How he has more and more trouble pulling himself back to the here and now rather than the cold waters of the sea.

She doesn’t say anything, just waits for him to come and say he can’t stay any longer. She waits and waits and it is nearly a year after she first realized he would leave soon that he finally comes. He says that he has no more reason to stay and she knows what he doesn’t say. She gives him a smile and presses her cheek to his forehead in a mimic of what her mother’s friend used to do to her when she was younger.

He stays with her for a few hours, the two of them sitting in silence with the air of a calm goodbye that had been coming for years. She doesn’t say it out loud, but she is surprised that he stayed as long as he managed. She also doesn’t say anything on the why he is leaving now.

When he goes to leave, she stops him at the door, telling him of a place not far inland that he can go to. He nods and taps her forehead in what she knows is his way of saying thank you.

She watches him leave as the sun sets and her husband comes up the path, job done for the day. Hashirama stops him momentarily, giving him a bright good day and good night and hopes for maybe getting together the next day if there isn’t as much paperwork. She doesn’t have to see his face or hear what is being said for her to know that he rolled his eyes and declined before continuing to head out of their house (and lives, though Mito will never forget him, no matter how much time passes).

Hashirama gets out of the ‘depression’ he had been in when he was turned down and wraps her in a hug to greet her, telling her about what had happened at the tower today and the proposals that Tobirama had given. He talks about how if he can escape tomorrow he will take her and Madara out for lunch and she gives a smile that she knows will barely hide the wistfulness.

Come the morning, only two people will know what had happened and she would play distraction as long as she could to give him as much time as he needed to get where he was going. She knows how strong the pull of the water is and she will not be the reason he is in such pain for longer than he already has been.


	2. Tobirama

Tobirama hadn’t expected the acceptance of peace Hashirama had sent two days after Izuna had been struck down to be accepted. When they went to the meeting place, he expected a trap and planned accordingly. Only a trap never came.

In the end, it wasn’t really  _ peace _ that had been achieved and more along the lines of a tense ceasefire. Hashirama obviously wanted to do anything he could to make it a true peace and Tobirama had to step in many times so that their clan wouldn’t get the raw end of the deal. Not all of the demands had to be renegotiated, though, so those ones were agreed on by both parties.

The Senju would stop going out of their way to find children and the river that ran along both the clans borders was named as neutral territory so both sides could do what they had to there. The Uchiha agreed to let a few supervised Senju into their lands to get resources that were scarce in their territory with the promise to not attack.

When they got back to their compound and he was surrounded by the familiar chakra signatures of the clan, Tobirama sat down and went over what he had seen in the Uchiha behaviors. The two he couldn’t remember the names of had obviously been uncomfortable with being there and didn’t like the idea of peace which he understood. This idea for peace between the clans was asking for the Senju to forget that Uchiha had killed their families and friends making it so that even though many in the Senju clan had tentatively accepted the idea of peace, many still didn’t want it to be with the Uchiha. There was no doubt that many of the Uchiha felt similarly.

The elder who had come with, Haruka, hadn’t given any clue as to how she felt about the whole thing. Haruka had kept her eyes deactivated and hadn’t stood in a stance ready to defend or attack. While she did object to things that were said, he didn’t know the Uchiha’s situation compared to the Senju’s so there was no way of knowing how those would have affected them. Overall, she had only given off the idea of wanting what was best for her clan.

Madara had been the most surprising. He made the final decisions in regards to the terms for peace that had been presented, yet he also deffered to Haruka quite obviously. Izuna, who had always been a constant at Madara’s left since he had become the leader, was absent. Thinking on it, that most likely meant that the younger had died. If that was the case, Haruka was probably acting as a stabilizer for Madara.

“Tobirama, does Madara-san often act that way?” Mito asked, startling him from his thoughts.

“Not that I know of, however, I have only ever seen him on the battlefield. If you want a better answer, talk to Hashirama,” Tobirama said, shifting papers around.

Mito gave a small hum and left him to his work and notes.

 

The second meeting was three months after the first. More Uchiha had come this time along with the ones that had been there for the first meeting. Madara stays close to Haruka and defers to her before the other elders. By the end of the meeting, he can see the elders tense and ready to have a fight or shouting match but holding back in the presence of their enemy.

Mito, who had insisted on coming, stays in place for a moment as the groups are getting ready to leave. He watches her out of the corner of his eye and sees her say something that makes Madara stop and look at her for a moment before laughing.

The laughter is something he has never seen in the Uchiha before. They have all been people who are stoic and more likely to stab you in the back than laugh along to a story blown out of proportion. Tobirama glances at the other Uchiha and almost all of them are still wearing the stoic masks, though there is a vague sense of relief to each of the them, in particular Haruka who has tilted back her head and has a slight smile.

Madara says something and Mito gives a nod before turning back to the Senju group to join them on the return trip to the compound. Hashirama hadn’t noticed the slight delay in waiting for Mito and he isn’t going to mention it here. He will ask back home where there isn’t the risk of being attacked for the wrong word.

 

Hashirama asks Madara to join them in their travel to Uzu to speak with the head on the bequest of the Senju elders and Tobirama scowls. The elders want to make it into a show of strength and power to cow the Uchiha even though it has nearly been a year since the first talks and the pipe dream village is actually being built. The Uchiha are no longer fighting them, instead working with them and they want to risk that for a show of strength.

He is walking along the the rooftops in Uzu when he sees Mito walking toward Madara who is standing in the sea. Madara jumps when Mito stops next to him and stares at her for a moment before turning back to look over the water. Tobirama doesn’t get what could have the Uchiha so entranced with the sea until he remembers this would have been the first time he had seen it. He watches the two for a while, making sure that nothing will happen, when Madara turns around and begins to walk back into Uzu.

His breath catches as he stares at the marking that dances over Madara’s heart. It is too far away for him to see any details, but he can see the red and deep blue that twine together.

He tears his eyes back to Mito who is still standing in the sand, only she is looking up at him. He gives a nod and turns back to head to his rooms.

He doesn’t get any sleep, wondering about the bright color that strikes itself across Madara’s chest.

 

Once they are back in Konoha, he watches Madara, wanting to see if the trip may have caused any negative effects on the peace that had been reached. Madara acted indifferent to the play of power, still acting the same as he had been even though some of the Uchiha glared at the Senju in the streets.

Tobirama eventually noticed that Mito would at times step into a conversation that Madara was having for no reason he could see and with reasons that he knows aren’t true. Madara looks at her with relief every time she does, though, so he doesn’t say anything. He knows that Madara doesn’t notice him watching, since if the Uchiha had, he probably would have been yelled at about it.

He still wonders about the slash of color across his chest, but knows questions would be unwelcome.

 

Kagami is the one who winds up being the reason he sees the marking again.

He had been late to team training and Tobirama was searching for him. One of the younger Uchiha pointed to one of the training fields not far from the Uchiha compound and he headed that way. Closer, he could hear the sounds of a fight and quickened his steps, uncertain what he would see in the field.

Kagami’s active sharingan and sword were the first things he noticed as he came into sight of the field. Madara dodging the sword swings with his gunbai was next.

Madara’s attention flickered to him for a moment and Kagami’s sword caught on the fabric of Madara’s shirt, tearing it. Kagami dropped his sword and Madara looked down to see the rip.

“Stop worrying. Izuna did worse when we trained,” Madara told Kagami, pulling the shirt over his head and fingering the tear. “I think he saw each one as a victory. Go follow your teacher.”

Kagami picks up his sword and heads over to where Tobirama is standing staring at the marking that he can now see: Izuna’s sharingan twisted with blue vines and a flaming flower in center. He pulled himself away from the curiosity of the meaning behind the tattoo to head back to his team along with Kagami.

When they were halfway to the meeting spot, he asked, “When did he get the tattoo?”

Kagami hummed, “I don’t know. Madara-sama doesn’t like to talk about it.”

Tobirama nods, having nothing else to say.

 

If anyone were to ask, he would say that he knew immediately when Mito and Madara began to form a friendship. In truth, he didn’t notice it for two years and probably wouldn’t have if he hadn’t seen the two playing a game of cards in the main room of Hashirama and Mito’s house.

Mito glanced up at him and he knew what she was saying without having to hear it. He inclined his head and turned back the way he came, deciding to see if there was something else he could do before heading home for the night.

 

He also doesn’t notice the increasing number of handmade decorations and items until he goes to make a cup of tea and is blinking down at a cup with small flowers and whirlpools and kitsune. Mito looks over at him and asks what is wrong.

“I’ve never seen this cup before,” he said.

She stands up and looks at the cup he is holding, “First, that one is mine, yours is the one with the koi on it. Second, a friend made them.”

Tobirama looked over at her, spotting the soft, sad smile she was giving to the cup. He looked down at it again and wondered what about it made her feel sad as she looked at it.

A knock came from the door and Mito turned to go and answer it, leaving Tobirama to finish making the tea that he had planned on making in the first place.

He glances out into the main room and blinks at Madara sitting across from Mito who is opening a box of cards, “Would you like to be left alone?”

Mito hums in thought as Madara looks up at him, “I think it would be more fun if we had a third player. Have you ever played Hanafuda?”

Tobirama responded in the negative and Mito jestered for him to sit down next to her. Madara had an amused look on his face and began to place the cards on the table as Mito explained what each one was.

He forgot about the tea as the three of them played.

 

He notices when Kagami begins to come to team training with black circles under his eyes and starts to make mistakes he hasn't made for years. He asks him to stay after training and Kagami looks nervous, biting his lips and fingering the hilt of his sword. He asks if anything is going that is causing the changes in how Kagami is acting.

Kagami looks startled for a moment before running a hand through his hair with a sigh, “My mom’s aunt is ill. She's the one who raised me after my parents died so it's like losing that last person in your family.” He looks up quickly at that, looking vaguely panicked. “I mean Haruka-baa-chan isn't the last of my family, I still have my cousin, but I've never been that close to him and I have the rest of the clan too.”

His mouth twitches in a slight smile and he says, “I know what you mean, Kagami, and if you would like some time off to spend with Haruka-san just let me know.”

Kagami nods and says goodbye before turning and running back to the clan compound.

Tobirama rubs a hand over his face, staring at the ground as worry fills his chest. Worry about how Madara will take the possible death of another so very close to him.

 

When he thinks back on it, it should have been obvious that something was going on in the clan he didn't know about. The biggest clue being when Madara glances up from the Hanafuda cards and says, “Senju, if something happens to me, I want you to make sure Kagami takes over the clan.”

Tobirama blinks at the request, “Why ask me to ensure that?”

“I know how the elders will be. Even if I specifically say Kagami is my successor, they will try to put someone else into the position.” Madara runs a hand through his hair and stares down at the cards, “The people they would choose will not be good for the clan.”

He stares at Madara, trying to see anything that the other isn’t saying a nd comes up empty, “I will do my best to ensure that should something happen to you.”

Madara nods and lays his cards down, standing up and leaving the room. He never comes back for the cards.

 

The rest of his team notice the lack of Kagami almost immediately after he asks for time off. When they ask, he tells them what is going on and they decide to do something to cheer Kagami up.

They all go to the compound and Madara raises an eyebrow but leads them to a small house set in the middle. Kagami looks startled when they enter the house and asks what they are doing here. Before any of them can say anything, though, an old woman walks into the room and Kagami’s attention turns to her.

“Don’t think about saying anything, brat,” Haruka says, “the only reason I won’t be moving is because I’m dead.”

“Don’t try arguing, Kagami, you’ll be talking to a brick,” Madara says, a smile playing at his lips. Haruka glares at him but doesn't deny what is said.

The visit goes well and they leave feeling that they helped a little bit.

 

Kagami shows up in the middle of the night during a heavy rainstorm. He invites him in and Kagami sits at the table, staring at the wood in silence. The silence fills the room and he feels uncomfortable in it, like he should say something but he doesn’t know what.

“Haruka-baa-chan died,” Kagami finally says and it breaks the oppressive feeling in the air.

Tobirama feels his heart freeze. Haruka was the last Uchiha he knew of that Madara was close to and what might happen now that she is gone scares him. Izuna nearly broke him, Haruka just might.

He swallows, he has to focus on his student right now. “Is there anything I can do to help?”

Kagami bites his lip and it hits Tobirama that he is only 14 and this is the first major death he would remember. “Could I stay here until I find a new place? I can’t stay there.”

He nods and hopes that he will be able to help Madara.

 

In the next week, he watches for Madara in the chaos that came from the Kyuubi nearly walking through the village. He doesn’t see him anywhere and he begins to worry that maybe Madara is alone in his mourning with no one to go to. He remembers how close Mito and Madara where and heads to Hashirama’s house at the first opportunity he has.

Mito answers the door and he asks if Madara is there. She blinks and gestures for him to come in. He is confused, but does as she says.

“I didn’t think that you would notice Madara’s absence. I suppose I should have though,” she says after closing the door.

He looks at her, “What do you mean?”

She gives him a look, “You have been watching him for the past 12 years. At first I thought it was just because you didn’t trust them all that much. After seven years and you were still watching him with the same intensity, I realised it had most likely changed to something else by that point.”

“What.”

“You never noticed that you watched Madara like a hawk? Or the fact that you tended to bring him up in conversation more than anything else? Think over the last decade, Tobirama, think about it.”

He does. Mind going back over every conversation and interaction that he and Madara have had and slowly realises what Mito means. Mito smiles with closed eyes as he stares at her with shock, “That is what I mean. I thought you knew and were waiting for some other sign before you said anything.”

“If I had realised, I would have said something!” He covers his face with a hand and groans.

“Then it is good that you didn’t,” Mito says and he freezes. Her tone is sad and thankful and he can’t think of why she would be in this situation. “If I tell you about why Madara became close to me, you can’t tell anyone, write it down, or record it in any way. Understand?”

He looks at her and sees an ocean storm in her eyes that wouldn’t hesitate to tear down anything that stood in her way. He nods and she explains. By the end, he hurts, but is also happy because Madara will be fine.


	3. Kagami

For as long as Kagami could remember, Madara had been fascinated with water. He has vague memories of someone with longer hair sighing as they all sat next to a stream and Madara let a hand hang in it. The ones he remembers clearly all involve smaller things of water. A glass on the table while they eat or talk, a small dish next to his bed, even a glass vase. Madara always had some sort of water around and would stare at it, sometimes losing track of what he was doing.

To him, this is just how Madara has always been and likely always be. But he also hears the whispers in the clan, the ones about how he is different then how he used to be. He knows that the clan is still reeling from the stark change but he doesn’t know what Madara was like before now.

The one time he asks about it, Haruka-baa-chan says that Madara was going down a path that would have resulted in death and someone was able to pull him back from it. He doesn’t ask again.

 

By the time he is seven, he is on the biggest genin team taught by the person Haruka-baa-chan says killed one of the people Madara cared about above all. At first he had been worried that Madara would be upset about that. His sensei killed his brother after all. When he expressed this, though, Madara had said that it didn’t matter.

He was thankful for that as he really did like being taught by Tobirama and the discussions he got into with his teammates. If Madara had said it bothered him...well...he would stay on the team, he just would not talk about anything involving them with Madara.

Haruka-baa-chan doesn’t say her standing on anything, taking in all the facts and acting according to what she has. She wouldn’t have cared as long as he was happy.

His team was great and they all worked well together even though some of them had arguments at all times. Tobirama-sensei even taught them individually in how to get as much as they can out of their own abilities. The only thing he has to get outside help in is how to use and train his sharingan and Madara helps him with that.

 

He notices the stares Tobirama-sensei gives Madara. He asks about it over dinner once and Haruka-baa-chan and Madara both say they know but it doesn’t hurt anyone so neither will mention it. He nods and lets it drop, not finding any reason to argue about it.

The rest of his team eventually notice it at different times and each seems to think along the lines of it being Tobirama-sensei still being suspicious about what he is doing.

Kagami doesn’t mention anything he thinks about why Tobirama watches Madara. He has his own ideas but doesn’t want to say anything. He knows that what he thinks would not be welcome by anyone.

 

At nine, he feels his theories are confirmed when he loses track of time and Tobirama-sensei comes looking for him.

Madara doesn’t dodge his strike even though he knows he could and he slices through the shirt he is wearing. The lack of a dodge means someone is watching them, but he doesn’t think about that in the first few seconds, too worried about the cut in the shirt. Madara dismisses any worries though, and pulls it off.

Kagami’s eyes trace the tattoo quickly, the image ingrained in his mind after seeing it so often, and turns to look at his sensei who is staring at Madara’s chest. Madara says to follow his teacher and he obediently walks over to Tobirama and the two walk away.

The silence is broken by Tobirama, “When did he get the tattoo?”

Kagami blinks and has to think for a moment before answering, “I don’t know. Madara-sama doesn’t like to talk about it.”

Not the full truth, but it is what Tobirama should know.

 

He’s 11 when Haruka-baa-chan calls him to her and tells him everything about what happened with Madara. He learns why the clan finds Madara odd, how this stark change happened and what it meant for everyone. She tells that only three living people know what really happened now.

He’s told of how he was almost accepted into the little group Madara made and would have been if Izuna had lived a few years longer.

He takes a month long solo mission. He probably could have finished it in a week, but he needed the time to go through everything he had learned.

When he gets back his team and teacher all express their worry about how long he had taken to complete the mission and he smiles for the first time in a month. He might only be on the periphery of Madara’s group, but he has his own and they all care about him.

He asks Haruka-baa-chan why she told him and she gives him a secret smile that is laced in sadness, “You are close to Madara. I am the only thing keeping Madara here now. Once I pass, he will leave. You needed to know.”

 

Haruka-baa-chan falls ill and he worries more and more about her. The worry keeps him from getting enough sleep and he knows he is making more and more mistakes, but he can’t react fast enough.

He feels isolated on an island with no one there.

Madara is getting lost staring at the water more and more often and stares off to the horizon with a distant look in his eye. He might stay focused long enough to help, but it is not likely.

None of his friends know about his home life and none of them seem to notice. Sensei doesn’t even seem to notice.

He nearly panics when sensei asks him to stay after team training, thinking that he is going to be reprimanded for something he can’t  _ help _ right now.

“Is something going on in the clan right now?” Tobirama asks.

Kagami’s brain freezes and he realises that of course Tobirama would notice something going on. He sighs and runs a hand through his hair and says, “My mom’s aunt is ill. She's the one who raised me after my parents died so it's like losing that last person in your family.” He realises what he says right after he said it and adds. “I mean Haruka-baa-chan isn't the last of my family, I still have my cousin, but I've never been that close to him and I have the rest of the clan too.”

Tobirama just gives a slight smile and says if he needs the time off, he can have it. He heads home feeling lighter than he has in months.

 

Madara disappears in the morning one day. While he thinks it is odd, it is nothing that hasn’t happened before and he goes through his day as he does right now, bringing Haruka-baa-chan anything she asks for and doing things around the house.

He’s sleeping when he feels the sudden  _ lack _ in the house that should have been there. He jerks up and heads to the other bedroom, dread filling his gut as he slides open the door.

Madara is sitting underneath the window and glances up when he steps in. He opens his mouth but the words never come. Madara bows his head, hair falling over his face and he  _ knows _ . He knows that the person who basically raised him is gone.

He turns on his heel and runs from the house.

He doesn’t realise until he’s stopped where his feet took him and he knocks on the door, not knowing what to expect. The door opens and sensei is standing there. He looks Kagami over and invites him in. He moves on autopilot, sitting at the table and staring at the wood of the table.

Silence fills the area, but he doesn’t notice, too stunned to do anything really. When he finally feels he can speak, he says, “Haruka-baa-chan died.”

There is no response for a long moment before sensei says, “Is there anything I can do to help?”

Kagami hesitates, bites his lip in an old habit he has never been able to break, and asks, “Could I stay here until I find a new place? I can’t stay there.”

Tobirama nods when he glances up and Kagami feels relief. His world among the Uchiha might be crumbling in on itself, but he still has others who will help in any way they can.


	4. Haruka

Haruka could remember teaching a bright-eyed six year old how to hold a kama and not risk cuts from fingers slipping too close to the blade. Tajima had been hesitant to allow her to teach Madara, but eventually had agreed. Takuya would come by and train with them, providing a different opponent for both of them to face.

She noticed the way Madara always put his family first even when it means that he has to do something that could risk everything. She knows the rest all think it is normal for their clan, that he is just protective over the ones younger than him. But Madara goes beyond what is normal for their clan. He is always watching, even in the compound where others feel safe.

There is no reason to worry too much about it, however, so she shows him a few things to act as distractions from what else is going on. It is never enough to distract for long and he always goes back to being the protective shadow to his brothers, but it seems to help in a small way.

 

Takuya’s body is brought back along with Madara nearly on death’s door due to chakra exhaustion. She attended the funeral, an old ache making itself known as she stands in front of the pyre. Tajima stands next to her with Kazuko and the twins standing behind them. Izuna in the medical house with Madara, too young to attend.

She watches as Akemi walks up and lights the pyre with a torch. Kazuko only stays until the fire reaches Takuya’s body before going to check on Madara, taking the twins with her. Tajima and Akemi leave once the body is no longer recognizable. She stays watching the fire. She stays until it is only embers left and carefully puts them out before heading back into the compound.

Madara wakes up three days later and disappears on the people assigned to watch him. While they ran around trying to find him, she walked out of the compound into a clearing not far. He was sitting in front of a stone with characters written on it.

She stopped behind him and looked at the name carved at the bottom, “From what I heard, you couldn’t have done anything.”

“I could have paid more attention to what was going on. Takuya didn’t have to die,” Madara said.

Haruka has survived as long as she has by reading people, at times to disturbing levels, and she has watched Madara grow to where he is now. She knows by looking at him that nothing she says will change the path he has chosen to go down. Instead, she places a hand on his shoulder and says, “You can’t change what has happened, however, you still have three younger than you that need an older brother.”

Madara is silent and she lets him have that, walking away.

 

Kenshin and Hayato are ambushed not long after their first mission and she sees Madara’s jaw clenched as they watch the pyre. She can see the determination in his eyes to protect what he has left and worries for those around him when he finally loses those he considers his to protect.

She prays that whoever tries to take his family from him doesn’t succeed.

 

She notices long before Tajima that Madara sneaks off to do something when he isn’t training and comes back almost happy. She watches for nearly a year before Tajima catches onto what is going on and sends Izuna to follow Madara. She doesn’t know what happens, but it does not make Madara happy, whatever it is.

He doesn’t stay angry for long, he never can when it is someone in his family and she watches as he goes to the river again with Izuna this time. A month after he turns 15, Madara shows up in her house nervous in a way she hasn’t seen since he was eight and had sliced his hand open on the kusarigama blade. She sets up some tea and waits for him to bring up what he wants to say, knowing she will get more if she lets him go first. Her patience is rewarded with a fantastic story of people who showed up and talked to him and Izuna about dragons and things that separately seemed too amazing to believe. But she has watched Madara and what he is saying now strikes too close to what she has seen in him.

Madara falls silent and picks at the side of the cup, anxiety rolling off of him. She waits. He bites his lip and says he doesn’t want to go insane in grief, but he doesn’t want to risk Izuna snapping without him.

Haruka smiles, pats his hand, and says that they will have to get used to whatever he becomes then.

 

Izuna carries him back in the middle of the night. She stares down at the marking that burned itself over Madara’s heart and finds it appropriate that it be sharingan red, Izuna’s eye, and Takuya’s favorite color twined together. Izuna is exhausted and she doesn’t comment when the nine year old collapses next to Madara and curls into him.

She closes the door and leaves them be.

 

For all that the other Uchiha can be oblivious, they notice the sudden change in Madara quickly. They notice the way he acts distant to all but Tajima, Izuna, her, and Akemi. They notice the calculating way he watches everything and the way he stares into the distance.

Madara disappears to the river more and more and she worries. She worries about what is making him decide to disappear to the water and for all that everyone says she knows everything, she doesn’t. That lack of knowledge is most prevalent now where she can’t do anything but try and figure out what is going on.

 

Izuna, as has become typical, is the one to figure out what to do. He shrugs and says that it is a distraction from the water as Madara sits putting needle through cloth. Tajima sighs and says as long as Madara isn’t distracted in battle anymore, it is fine. Akemi raises an eyebrow and says that Kazuko always was one to have odd little talents. She doesn’t say anything, but pauses behind him and places a hand on his shoulder and Izuna comes over and begins talking about something that she doesn’t feel the need to listen in on.

 

Tajima dies when Madara turns 25 and it is the first death that seems to fully effect Madara as he screams. Izuna, seven years younger and not fully remembering the other deaths, stares hopelessly as tree limbs are torn off and made into mulch.

Eventually, Madara collapses to his knees and Haruka watches his shoulders shake as his chakra fills the air with desperation, the want to kill whoever took from him. Izuna hugs him as Haruka breathes deep and understands what those people that had shown up a decade ago meant.

This is still war, though, so she shall do her best to keep Madara stable should Izuna fall and not get back up.

 

Ameki dies a year after her son is born and Izuna takes him in. Madara doesn’t show any reaction to Kagami that he hasn’t in the last year. He doesn’t react as he had with Tajima, but that is understandable.

She wonders idly if anyone other than Izuna and herself will be pulled into the circle. For six months, it doesn’t seem as though Madara changed any interaction with Kagami, until she goes to their house and sees him playing with Kagami as Izuna trains. She smiles and decides it will be good for more to be brought in.

 

Madara brings Izuna back and she remembers when he was brought back nearly dead. He doesn’t leave Izuna’s side for the several hours it takes for Izuna to die. Everyone in the clan knows when that comes as  _ pain _ fills the air along with chakra that would be uncomfortable if they weren’t a clan of fire.

Kagami shifts uneasily in his sleep and she adjusts the blankets. Madara shows up in the room and he is looking toward the ground.

She waits. “I can’t take care of Kagami. If it was a year of so later, maybe, but I…” Madara says.

Haruka doesn’t have to ask what he means. Izuna was always the one he was closest to besides Takuya.

She nods and Kagami’s stuff is moved to her house.

When the peace offer arrives two days later, she knows that no matter what Madara chooses, she shall stand by him. This doesn’t mean she is not surprised when he accepts the offered peace and doesn’t use it as an excuse to kill the Senju who had caused the life-ending wound to Izuna.

 

The second meeting, she can tell that Madara is getting more and more stressed. He hasn’t been able to disappear to the river in two months and it is grating on his nerves. The other elders notice the atmosphere and for once are reasonable in how long they take to make decisions. The Senju also pick up on the stress leaking from Madara and she can tell that they are ready to fight.

The meeting comes to a close and she is already planning how she will get the others to leave him alone long enough to escape. The Senju’s wife doesn’t move for a moment even though the others in her group are packing up to leave. Madara looks over at her and she says blandly, “It seems as though the Senju are the unreasonable bastards even though that’s what they call you.”

Madara seems frozen from a moment before laughing in a way she hasn’t really seen since he was 25. He is still snickering as he says, “At least part of that is true.”

Mito nods and heads over to the Senju. Haruka glances at them and sees the white haired one’s gaze flick over to Mito from the Uchiha and hums. She wonders what will happen once this village is built.

 

It turns out the answer to that is Tobirama will keep watching Madara.

Haruka keeps one eye on the Senju that has essentially started stalking Madara and the other on everyone else. She has two people to look out for, Madara and the way he is slowly, steadily drifting away from the here and Kagami who is four and doesn’t understand  _ why _ .

There are times she wishes that things had gone differently. That she wasn’t the last and only one standing of her family at 42, but she is and she shall do all that she can to  _ stay here _ until death drags her kicking and screaming.

 

Mito comes to her four years after the founding of Konoha (and that name is obviously Madara. At least something with live on after he leaves) and asks for the story about what happened. She tells her, and Mito nods, tells of her mother’s friend who was the same. Haruka is glad for the help Mito offers and still keeps an eye on people, just not as close.

She mentions Tobirama’s watching and asks if they should bring it up with him. Mito shakes her head and says, “Not now. I don’t know if it is wariness or something else. I hope it is wariness.”

 

Kagami brings up his fears of being on Tobirama’s genin team up with her before Madara and she tells him that he should ask Madara, not her. Dinner that night is tense from Kagami and curious from Madara as he waits for someone to say something on what is wrong but Kagami keeps false starting.

Madara gathers the dishes together and places them in the sink while Kagami stares at the table. She sighs, “Kagami, I am not going to always be here to bring up what you want to be brought up.”

Madara looks over to them as Kagami nods and explains his fears, stuttering and pausing. He looks thoughtful for a moment before flicking Kagami’s head, “If I had a problem with Tobirama, you wouldn’t know who he was.”

Kagami looks confused, but she knows what Madara doesn’t say. She knows that something changed the desire to hunt to indifference. This just confirms that.

 

Haruka doesn't mention it when moving becomes harder and she coughs up black in the middle of the night. Instead, she sits Kagami down and explains things to him so that he will not be hurt when Madara leaves after her. She knows what is happening for all that it is no longer common.

Madara looks at her and when Kagami goes on the month long mission. She knows without having to say anything that he knows she doesn’t have long left.

Haruka gives a smile that has cowed many in her life and still does. Death is coming for her, but she will make it _work_ _for her_.

 

Kagami starts worrying after she is officially diagnosed two years later and she kicks herself for not thinking about the effect it would have on the one who  _ doesn’t _ have the ability to tell just by looking. She doesn’t know how to make it easier for him either. She has only ever really known how to be blunt and help pick up the pieces before they scatter too far. She doesn’t know how to be that person who tells you everything is going to be alright.

One day he comes back and smiles at her, looking like a small weight has been lifted. Haruka smiles and thanks whatever is listening that someone was able to give Kagami some help.

 

“When I was younger,” she begins, “I always thought I would go out in a blaze in battle. I didn’t think I would be one of the ones to die naturally.”

Madara hums and she closes her eyes, “I wish I had died before this, all told. I also don’t.” she coughs and feels ash and soot in her throat and mouth “Most of the ‘before this’ comes from avoiding the embers.”

Silence falls between them and Haruka listens to the sounds of the night that are so very different from what she has listened to for most of her life. It still amazes her at times like this. She forces her head to the side to look at Madara, “There is one thing I want to know still. What did Izuna tell you?”

He doesn’t look up from where he is painting the seal, “Izuna told me ‘think about what is best for the clan’ and ‘make sure Kagami is safe’.”

She laughs and it turns into a cough. By the time it stops, she can feel the last gasps of the embers within her, “You were always a terrible liar.”

She can feel the sadness filling the room as the embers go out one by one. “You’ll have to ask Izuna then.”

“I guess I will.” The last one goes out.


	5. Izuna

The memories he has of his other brothers are blurry at best and small fragments at worst. Most of what he knows of them comes from Madara and he wishes he could have known them. He can sort of remember his mother as she taught Madara odd little things that make life for them easier than it otherwise would have been.

He misses them in that way you miss something that you are told about but never knew. Izuna doesn’t know what to really feel when he sits with Madara at the memory stone and he tells him stories about what the others did.

When father tells him to follow Madara to the river, he goes because he doesn’t want to lose Madara like Madara lost everyone else. He is angry when he learns but it is not for long, it is never for long.

After, Madara brings him along whenever he leaves. For three years, nothing changes in their routine of wandering and picking things up to sell. Then they see the redhead and blonde at the river and nothing is the same.

 

They talk of things that make no sense when he thinks on it later. But in the moment, they make things connect that he was never sure of before. The way Madara forgave him so easily even when he did something that ruined what he was working on for months. The reason Madara always seems to snap at people, even clan members, when they get too close to him.

The two offer up two solutions: death or change. Izuna feels as though his world is crumbling when they say that and locks himself in his room when they get back. He doesn’t move from his bed even when a knock comes from his door or when it slides open. Madara sits next to him and runs a hand threw his hair.

“I don’t want you to die,” he mumbles into the pillow.

“I don’t have to, they said that they-”

“Change you? I don’t want you to change! You’re fine right now!”

Madara pauses and sighs, “When I was ten, Takuya and I were training in the forest. We were ambushed by a group of about 15-20 other nin. Takuya was...not the best at guarding his back and one of them was able to get a kunai into his back. At that point, there were maybe three of them down and I snapped. I don’t remember much of what happened after that until I felt I could barely move. I remember curling up next to Takuya and blacking out. I’ve heard from others that the enemies were burned to the point no one could recognize them.”

Izuna looks up, “What does that have to do with this?”

“I did basically the same thing to the people who killed the twins and mom. And I’m pretty sure that I’ll do the same thing if you, dad, Ameki, or aunt were to die like that, I  _ know _ I would do the same thing,” Madara says.

“Then we can leave. We don’t have to stay here.”

“It...it is stronger with you four, but I feel the same towards everyone, Izuna. I can’t leave. Haruka-san already said she is fine with the change.”

Izuna sits up and hugs Madara, “Okay. I don’t like it, but okay.”

Madara wraps arms around Izuna and runs fingers through his hair.

 

They sneak out under the cover of night and go back to the river where the two are camped for the night. Madara holds Izuna’s hand as they approach, squeezes to pass on comfort even as his own hand trembles slightly.

The redhead grins, showing sharp teeth, and cuts the skin above different tattoos. The blonde looks up and nods, pulling on black gloves. They say to choose one of the many things that lays before them.

Madara is still holding his hand as he hesitates in choosing. Izuna can tell he is going to choose the large scale with a fire pattern when he pauses and reaches for a smaller, darker one.

The blonde gestures for the redhead to move away and they bring him with when they get up. Izuna hesitates, but Madara smiles and he moves.

“He might be the quasi, but your whole clan are protective,” they say. Green eyes look him over, “Listen, one day, it is going to be you or him. One of you will die. Both paths lead to destruction, but one is...one is by nature, the other is orchestrated. There are infinite factors that can flip the story, but your choice can influence a lot of them.”

He blinks, confused as to what she means when he feels fire flare bright and burning around water. He runs to Madara who faints backwards and nearly hits a rock.

The blonde sighs and says to find a distraction before helping Izuna settle Madara on his back. He leaves and heads to Haruka’s house, barely making it there and to one of the extra beds before collapsing.

 

The next few months are an odd blur adjusting to Madara’s new habits and the ones that are gone along with his humanity. The two biggest are the fascination with water and the feeling of fire-water in his chakra which shouldn’t be possible, yet it is right there.

He can vaguely remember trying things that used to distract Madara, but they only work minimally. He clearly remembers the despair as he was sent out on a simple mission while Madara was still on leave and coming back with evidence of a close call in the tear right above his kidney.

Madara frets over him for about an hour before sitting down and stitching the tear up. He expects that to be it but then he adds embroidery that blends into the shirt to it as well and he realizes what can distract Madara.

 

A month later, father, aunt, and Ameki also figure it out and don’t react beyond saying it will be good to have Madara back on the field.

Slowly, the distractions expand and Madara learns to ignore whatever was making him flighty to begin with. When Izuna turns 15, he asks what it was and Madara looks conflicted as he tries to explain it. “I feel this pull that is like being stabbed with senbon constantly, but it also doesn’t feel like that. I want to go into the river and just stay there but it also feels wrong when I try. I...can’t really explain it.”

Izuna nods and asks if being in the water actually helps at all. He huffs and says he should be the one looking out for Izuna.

 

At 18, Izuna is lost in what to do as Madara tears apart trees as his chakra  _ screams. _ Haruka stands next to him silently as they watch the new clearing being torn into existence.

Eventually, Madara stops, collapsing to his knees and Izuna knows how to deal with this side of Madara. He wraps arms around him and buries his face into his shoulder, murmuring words of comfort.

 

Ameki dies in a stealth mission gone wrong. He knows that it pains Madara, but not in the same way that father’s death had. Ameki had been closer to them than the other Uchiha, but she was still active duty for the clan.

Izuna shifts his hold on Kagami and glares at the elders in front of him. They step back and he says he will take care of him, no one else shall. Madara doesn’t really know how to act and shifts between emotional distance and unable to function.

He doesn’t really care. Madara won’t hurt Kagami, the kid is too young to cause harm and the most that happens is some hair pulling. A few months in and he starts to stabilize in how he treats Kagami, leaning into distant care.

He smiles and hopes he lives long enough to see it become what he knows it can.

 

The air is filled with something like anticipation as he stands to Madara’s left, staring at Tobirama. Something, he doesn’t know what, feels like it is holding its breath, waiting to see what will be decided.

Hashirama, as he always does when their clans met to battle, offers peace. He doesn’t have to look to know Madara’s hand clenches; to know that ghost emotions race alongside the ones that exist now. He doesn’t accept and the battle begins.

Tobirama jumps back and there is a sense of slyness mingling with the anticipation and he remembers when he was nine, next to the river at night and a redhead telling him he could change how the world ends.

Steam fills the air and kunai fly at him. He sees something on one of them and everything seems to stop as words almost forgotten ring in his head: ‘One day, it will be you or him. One of you will die.’

He can move. He can switch himself with something and survive. But that will stop every ounce of progress that Madara has shoved into the clan. It will stop all the opportunities to stop the fighting.

‘Death or change,’ he thinks as he shifts to avoid the kunai. The air behind him changes and pain seems to be an afterthought as metal slides into his chest.

Everything is muted and startlingly clear at the same time. The fire of his chakra, of his life, is roaring at the injury, trying to heal what it has never been able to and he hears Madara scream, catching him as he collapses. Hashirama says something and he feels Madara tense, the want to kill overpowering every other thing he might be feeling.

He shoves everything to the side, focusing on Madara, “Don’t, nii-san.”

Madara freezes, uncertainty coming to the forefront. But he doesn’t take the kill that is offering itself so beautifully. Dust fills the air and he is pulled backwards, the rest of the clan moving from their standstill positions and following after.

 

The fire in his chest is still burning. It rages at being unable to heal him as blood fills his lungs and he coughs to get it out. Madara’s face is filled with worry when he looks at him, desperation at the thought of another lost.

He smiles, bloody and rueful, “Don’t hunt Tobirama. The clan won’t survive without something between the clans.”

Madara looks like he wants to cry, but can’t, hasn’t been able to since he was 15. He shushes him, shaking hand lifting to the pale cheek. “That redhead, they told me it would be me or him. It would be nature or something else that would end the world.”

Madara’s hand rests over his and it is warm. He lets his arm go limp, staying up due to the hold, “Make sure Kagami is safe. Make sure he won’t have to face what we did or what I have.”

His hand moves and he realizes he can’t focus on anything. Cool lips press against his skin, a faint scrape. “Love you, Mada.”


	6. Madara

Madara knew that what he felt towards his family was stronger than the others in the clan. He always felt that if someone where to get injured or killed, it was his fault and he wanted to get rid of whoever did this.

Haruka trains him in a different clan style that is more dance than the other which is brute force and power. Takuya is helping him flesh out his skills when they are ambushed. They fight together and though he knows they can’t win on their own, someone should have heard the fight and be coming. One of them, though, sees the opening Takuya always leaves and a kunai flies into his unguarded back.

Madara screams and things blur until he collapses, the fire that has always been in him barely embers, and curls next to Takuya.

 

He wakes up and hates that he does. He should have been able to protect him since he knew Takuya left his back open.

Slipping away to the memory stone is easier than it should be and he sits staring at Takuya’s name. Someone enters the clearing and stops behind him, “From what I heard, you couldn’t have done anything.”

Madara doesn’t want to hear that. It reminds him of the failure he was. “I could have paid more attention to what was going on. Takuya didn’t have to die.”

Haruka is silent and he knows she is watching him. “You can’t change what has happened, however, you still have three younger than you that need an older brother,” she says.

Madara clenches his jaw and stays silent. Haruka leaves and he continues to stare at the name in stone.

 

The twins die a year after their mom and he glares at the pyre as it burns them away. Izuna is standing next to him, tears running down his cheeks. Father is with them along with Haruka as Ameki moves towards them.

Father takes Izuna to the house once the twin bodies are no longer recognizable and Ameki heads back to her own house. Haruka stands with him until the fire is embers that she puts out, leading him away.

He can feel his chakra curling in his gut, unhappy at losing more of his family. He resolves to never let another one fall if he can help it.

 

Meeting Hashirama is strange. It is nice to have someone else who wants to make peace for their family, but at the same time, he is uncertain of how much he can trust Hashirama.

They talk about building a village where their younger brothers don’t have to take missions where they might die. They train together to push themselves to their limits, to get better.

When father tells him that Hashirama is a Senju, he feels conflicted. They have been meeting for over a year now and while he knew he was likely an enemy clan, Madara had never thought that it could be Senju, the clan that  _ killed _ his family. He hopes, for a brief moment as he stands at the river, that things might be rocky, but they can get through this. Once the head Senju and another show up, aiming to kill his  _ brother _ , he knows that it will never go back to those bittersweet meetings.

Izuna comes into his room and he smiles, saying that it is better now than later.

 

It is a calm day by the river as he and Izuna train when the people show up. He stands in front of Izuna, sword gripped in his hand as he stares at the two. The redhead has a half smirk frozen as they stare at him while the blond looks bored.

“Damn. That is a bad reaction,” the redhead says.

The blond gives them a look, “You think I would ask you for help if it wasn’t bad?”

He stares at them, confused as to why they aren’t attacking when they obviously could. The redhead sticks out their tongue, “Never know. Kind of my thing, that.” They smirk-smile at them and Madara’s grip tightens on the sword. “Ain’t gonna attack either of ya. Just want to ask ya somethin’. What do you know about dragons?”

 

Izuna runs back to the house as soon as they are back in the compound. Madara doesn’t follow, instead walking to Haruka’s house. She sets up some tea and they sit in silence. He shifts and thinks of how to tell what the two at the river told him. He decides on just telling everything as he knew it, picking at the cup as he spoke.

He tells her his worries and she smiles at him. “Well, then. Everyone will have to get used to it, won’t they?”

He heads home, going to Izuna’s room and knocking on the door. There is no answer even as he slides the door open. Izuna is burrowed under his covers and he walks over, running a hand through his hair.

“I don’t want you to die,” Izuna mumbles into the pillow.

“I don’t have to, they said that they-” he starts.

“Change you? I don’t want you to change! You’re fine right now!”

He pauses and sighs, “When I was ten, Takuya and I were training in the forest. We were ambushed by a group of about 15-20 other nin. Takuya was...not the best at guarding his back and one of them was able to get a kunai into his back. At that point, there were maybe three of them down and I snapped. I don’t remember much of what happened after that until I felt I could barely move. I remember curling up next to Takuya and blacking out. I’ve heard from others that the enemies were burned to the point no one could recognize them.”

Izuna looks up, “What does that have to do with this?”

“I did basically the same thing to the people who killed the twins and mom. And I’m pretty sure that I’ll do the same thing if you, dad, Ameki, or aunt were to die like that, I  _ know _ I would do the same thing,” he explains.

“Then we can leave. We don’t have to stay here.”

“It...it is stronger with you four, but I feel the same towards everyone, Izuna. I can’t leave. Haruka-san already said she is fine with the change.”

Izuna sits up and hugs him, “Okay. I don’t like it, but okay.”

Madara wraps Izuna into a hug and runs fingers through his hair, ignoring the wet spot on his shoulder.

 

They head back to the river in the night. He knows he is trembling slightly as he squeezes Izuna’s to give some assurance and comfort.

The redhead grins, showing teeth that could rip out flesh. The skin that holds different tattoos is cut as the blonde pulls on gloves, the redhead laying out the items that came from the tattoos in front of them.

“Choose one,” the redhead says, leaning back.

He looks over the objects trying to find one he likes. He reaches for the scale that burns with fire on it but pauses. Following the cool safety to a smaller, darker scale he chooses that one.

The blonde gestures the redhead away and they move to bring Izuna with. He looks at him, uncertain so Madara smiles.

“You are going to need to remove your shirt. I need to place this inside of you as close to your heart as possible,” the blond says. Madara complies and threads wrap around the outstretched fingers. The hand runs right over his heart and he can see blood spilling from the opening along with muscles and bone that are cut through. Everything to strange as he sees his heart-his  _ heart _ -beating in his chest as a black hand places something right above it.

Threads knit everything back together. He stared at where the hole had been. At the blood that covered his chest and was beginning to seep into his bottoms.

Then everything snaps into a sharp focus that he doesn’t know how to describe and it  _ hurts _ .

 

Wakes up. Izuna is curled beside, sleeping, and night is still outside. Contentedness fills and sleeps.

 

Water calls. It stabs when not in it. It feels wrong.

Light hurts. It burns eyes.

Izuna is safe. Tou-san is fine. Ameki is good. Haruka is safe.

 

Izuna is not safe. Something attacked. Tear in his shirt shows where. Fixes it. Adds to it. The pull; the pain; not at the front when needle slides through fabric.

 

More things push back the water. Can defend against attacks easier. Pain still there; not as bad.

Izuna asks; answers. Asks different. Stupid. Protect Izuna; not other way.

 

Tou-san  _ dead _ . Pain bright hurt. Could have  _ done something _ . Izuna next to; wrapped around. Comfort.

 

Ameki dead. Not as bad; still hurt. Small one; Izuna says take care of. Not sure how to act. Izuna does not get angry. Small one...okay.

 

Liar. Asks for something unable to give. Regret ghost. Ignored. Battle now.

Something fraying.  _ Izuna _ . Catches; wants to kill attacker. Ready to kill. Liar, liar, liar,  _ liar _ .

“Don’t, nii-san.”

Knows that. Confusion. Izuna?

Looks. Knows. Does not understand. Flees.

Izuna hurt. Cannot do anything.

“Don’t hunt Tobirama. The clan won’t survive without something between the clans.”

Why?

“That redhead, they told me it would be me or him. It would be nature or something else that would end the world.”

Oh. Drains out. Could accept. Rests over Izuna’s hand.

“Make sure Kagami is safe. Make sure he won’t have to face what we did or what I have.”

Can do that. Can do that until pull too strong. Brings hand up.

“Love you, Mada.”

Izuna dead.  _ Izuna dead _ .  **Izuna dead** .  **_Izuna dead_ ** .

 

Letter; peace. Thinks. Izuna. Haruka, Kagami, clan. Stares. Accepts.

 

_ Pulling _ .  _ Pain. Hurts. _ What. Goes over. Thinks. Half-right. Laughs.

 

Invites. Accepts. Goes.  _ Water _ .  _ Deep water _ .  _ Right water _ . Liar’s wife. Izuna killer. Asked. Answers. Watches. Moves away. Eventually, not now.

 

Liar’s wife helps. Izuna killer watches. Ignores pull. Pull stronger.

 

Kagami worried. Wants to know. Kagami tells. Not worried. Izuna clear; will keep promise.

 

Weakened rope. Looks at Haruka. Knows.

 

Hard to ignore. Wants to go to  _ water _ ; _ deep water _ . Looks. Knows. Visits. Returns.

“When I was younger, I always thought I would go out in a blaze in battle. I didn’t think I would be one of the ones to die naturally.”

Understands.

“I wish I had died before this, all told. I also don’t. Most of the ‘before this’ comes from avoiding the embers. There is one thing I want to know still. What did Izuna tell you?”

Knows truth. Cannot tell. Will not tell. Lies.

“You were always a terrible liar.”

Truth. Acknowledges.

“I guess I will.”

Rope snaps. Looks up. Kagami. Kagami is safe. Haruka gone; happy. Clan safe.

Promise kept.

 

Looks up; stars. Looks down; water. Ready now. Steps in.

Shooting pain; over quick. Water soothes. Welcomes. Better; still not right. Searches.  _ Here _ .

Rests.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the end of this story! Thank you for reading it to the end. If you have any comments or questions please tell me.  
> And just if anyone starts wondering, there might be a squeal but it is uncertain at this point in time as other stories are holding my attention.


End file.
